Railroad switch



May 1927' B. H. PATRICK RAILROAD SWITCH Filed 001;. 19."'-l926 'zsheets-sheez 1 INVENTOR .3 H Pad-rick,

ATTORNEYS May 3, 1927- H; PATRICK RAILROAD SWITCH Filed Oct. 19, 1926 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 IN V 13.21.?

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ATTORNEYS Patented May 3, 1927.

UNITED sres BENJAMIN H. PATRICK, OI! MOUNT GAY, WEST VIRGINIA.

RAILROAD SWITCH.

Application filed October 19, 1926. Serial No 142,681.

My invention relates generally to improvements inrailroad switches, and 1t consists in the combinations, constructions and arrange;

switch points may be actuated by the flanges of wheels of a car that is passing from a closed branch linethrough the switch onto an associated main line of the railroad so that such car may move through the switch onto the rails of the main line without injury to the switch points or to the car.

Other objects and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description, considered in conjunction with the accompanying drawings, in which Figure 1 is a plan view of the improved switch with the switch points in one of their two possible set positions,

Figure 2 is a section substantially on the line 22 of Figure 1,

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 1, showing the switch points in their second set position,

Figure 4 is a perspective view of the controlling means of the improved switch, and Figure 5 is a perspective View of a lever that isused in the holding means of the improved switch construction. 7

In Figures 1 and 3, the numerals 1 and 2 generally designate the parallel rails of a main track and 3 and 4 generally indicate parallel rails of an associated spur track or siding. Parallel switch points 5 and 6, re-

spectively, may be of any suitable known construction and respectively are pivotally connected. at 7 and 8 in any suitable known manner with portions of the adjacent rails of the siding and the main track. respectively. The aforesaid rails including the i switch points, are supported on ties 9, as is usual The switch points 5 and 6 are maintained in spaced parallel relation with each other by their pivotal connections with the v member.

rails 3 and 2, respectively, of the aforesaid main track and associated siding in conjunc-- tion with a cross connecting bar 10 which eX- tends'underneath the free end portions of the switch points and is connected with the switch points at 11 so that the switch points a I will swing horizonally in unison when the connecting bar 10 is moved longitudinally.

The cross connecting bar 10 extends laterally o't theremote rails of the adjacent portions of the main track and'the siding and has its extreme end portlons curved upwardly and I rearwardly at 12 for convenience of actuation by the hand or the foot of a worlmian when it is desired to swing the switch points from the set position shown in Figure 1 to the set position shown in Figure 3, or vice versa.

The invention providesmeans for facilitating the movements of the switch points toward either of their two possibleset positions after such I switch points have been moved from-one of such set positionsslightly more than halfway toward the other set posit1on Such means includes a lever 13. The

lever 13 may be abaras shown, that is con-- nected at oneend by a vertical pivot element lt wlth the cross bar 1O intermediate the switch points. The lever 13 is formed intermediate its length with a longitudinally extending slot 15. A vertical pivot element 16 is upstanding from a tie plate 17 and extends through the slot 15. A nut 18 threadedly engages the upper end portion of the pivot element 16 and retains the lever 13 in place on the tie plate so that the lever 13 is capable of limited longitudinal. movement on the tie plate and may swing on the tie plate about the pivot element 16 of a fulcrum. The tie plate 17 is adapted to be engaged by railroad spikes 20' for securing the tie plate 17 firmly in plate on a plurality of the ties 9 and intermediate the switch points and has a downturned end portion 19 fitting against aside of one of the-ties Qadjacent to the, connecting bar 10.

'The second endportion of the lever 13 is connected pivotally by a vertical pivot' element 21 with a horizontal arm 23 of a right angular sectlon 24 of a lever actuating includes an upwardly turned vertical arm tuating member as a threaded end portion extending through an opening 111 the up- Said right angular section 24 also I .nut

turned arm of the section 1 24 *and connected adjustably with the upturned arm "25 and sectlon 24 are a palr of clamping nuts 27. The rod 26'extendsslidably throughan opening 28 in the upturned. vertical arm 29 of a substantially right angular bracket 30 which has a horizontal arm 31provided with openings for the reception of fastening devices 32 for securing .the arm 31 of vthe bracket 30 onto the'tie plate 17. Aniexpansionspring .34 of coil form is disposed on the rod 26 between the upturned vertical arm 29 of thebracketl'30 and anadjnsting The adjusting 11ut35 .is inthreaded engagement with the .rod '26 and is adapted to be securedin adjustedposition on the rod 26'by a lock nut 36 after the nut hasbeen' adjusted to cdmpressthespring as desired.

From the foregoing description of the various parts of the device, the operation thereof may be readily understood. The length-of the lever Band its actuating members 2426 combined is greater than the straight :line distance between the upturned arm 29 of the bracket 30 and the point ot pivotal connection of the lever 13 with the switch point connecting bar 10. The spring 34 therefore will function to normally re- 'tain the lever 13 at an obliqueangle with the connecting bar 10 and the lever actuating member at an oblique angle with the lever 13. Theaction of the spring 34: therefore will tend to maintain the switch points in eitherof their two possible setpositions and will snap the switch points to either of their possible set'positionsafterv such switch points have been swunglslightly more than halt the distance from one of theirpossible SGiZ'POSlt-lOIlSiOillGil other possible setposi- -tion.

Therod. section 26 of the lever actuating means may slide in the opening 28 of the arm 29 of the bracket 30 against the action of the spring'34 sufficiently to permit the sections of the lever actuating member to swing relatively to each other abouttthe axis of the pivot element 21 from the positi on shown inFigures l and 4t tothe position shown in FigureB as the switch pointsare swung from the set position. showninFigure 1 to the set position shown-in Figure 3. lVhen the switch points are n'the set position shown in F gure 1, the maintra'ck is open and railway cars may pass alongthe main track in either dlrection p-ast'the junction of the main track with the sidingjwithout actuating the switch points and "without moving onto the siding. However should a car pass from the siding toward themain track when the switch pointsare in the set position shown in Figure l, theflanges of the front wheels ofsuch car would actuate .the switch.points-sufiiciently to permit movement of the wheels of the car along'the switch points onto the main track without derailment and the switch pointsthen would :actuating 'member' comprising a return automatically to the set position shown in Figure 1. When the switch points are in "the set position shown in Figure 3, .a srallway car may pass 'oni'the main track from the right hand side of the sheet of drawings onto the siding or from the siding onto the main track without actuation of the switch points. Further, should the car move along :the main track from the left hand side of the sheet oil drawings, "the flanges of the front wheels of such carwill on contact with the switch poi1'1ts;actuate said switch pomts to perm1t movement ot the-wheels of the caralong the switch points onto the rails of the main track without derailn'ient and without injurylto the switch pointsor to the car, after which the "switch points will return automatically to'the position shown in Figure'3.. It therefore will be obvious that the switch embodied in the invent-i on will-obviate accidents because otinadvertent movement of railwayrolling stock in the wrong direction when the switch points are in either ottheirtwo possible-set positions.

Obviously, the invention is susceptibleot embodiment in forms other than that which is illustrated ,in the accompanying drawings and I therefore consider:as my own allsuch -modifications and adaptations thereof as laterally on opposite sides of the associated track rails, the 'ffree end portions or said cross bar .beingturned' upwardly to produce actuating'members. i

2. In a railroad switch, the combination with a pair of pivoted switch points of a crossbar connected 'withthe free end portions of said switch points and extending laterally on opposite sides ot'the associated track rails, theatres end portions or said cross bar being curved upwardly and rearwardly to produce actuating members.

3. The combination'with a pair (if'horizontally swingable pivoted switc-h points, of a cross bar connected withthe free end portions of said switch points, a "lever tulcrumed intermediate its ends and swingable horizontallybetween said switch points and pivotally connected at one end with said cross'bar a fixed supporting member hav .ing an upturnedarm provided witha horizontal opening, and a spring pressed lever section pivotallyconnected with the second end portion of said lever and a rod secured at one end'to said sectiontand having its opposite end portion slidably disposed in the opening of said fixed supporting member.

4. In a railroad switch, the combination with a pair of switch points of a cross bar connecting the free end portions of said switch points a tie plate secured in place adjacent to said cross bar and between said switch points, an upstanding pivot element on said tie plate, a lever pivotally connected at one end with said cross bar intermediate said switch points, said lever having a longitudinally extending slot intermediate its length for the reception of said upstanding pivot element a lever actuating member comprising a section pivotally connected with the second end portion of said lever and having an upturned arm, a rod adjustably secured to the upturned arm of said section, a fixed supporting member disposed in spaced relation to said upstanding arm of said section and having also an upstanding arm provided with an. opening, a rod adjustably connected to the arm of said sec tion of the lever actuating member and having a portion extending slidably through the opening of the upstanding arm of said supporting member, and an expansion spring disposed on said rod and acting on said lever actuating member to facilitate movement of said lever to either limit of its positions in opposite directions after said lever has passed an intermediate position and to yieldingly maintain the lever at the limit of its throw in either of opposite directions.

5. In a railroad switch, the combination with a pair of switch points of a cross bar connecting the free end portions of said switch points, a tie plate secured in place adjacent to said cross bar and between said switch'points, an upstanding pivot element on said tie plate, a lever pivotally connected at one end with said cross bar intermediate said switch points, said lever having a longitudinally extending slot intermediate its length for the reception of said upstanding pivot element, a lever actuating member con'iprising a section pivotally connected with the second end portion of said lever and having an upturnedarm,a rod adjustably secured to the upturned arm of said section, a fixed supporting member disposed in spaced relation to said upstanding arm of said section and having also an upstanding arm provided with an opening, a rod adjustably connected to the arm of said section of the lever actuating member and hav mg a port-ion extending slidably through the opening of the upstanding arm of said supporting member, an expansion spring disposed on said rod and acting on said lever actuating member to facilitate movement of said lever to either'limit of its positions in opposite directions after said lever has passed an intermediate position and to yicldingly maintain the lever at the limit of its throw in either of opposite directions,- a nut adjustable on said rod against one end of said spring, the outer end of said spring being disposed against the upstanding arm o'lf said fixed supporting member and means for locking said nut against retrograde movement onsaid rod from adjusted posi tion.

BENJAMIN I-L PATRICK. 

